Contrary to fathers' rights propaganda, father perpetrators (along with stepdads and caretaker boyfrends) dominate the most vicious crimes against children: sexual assault, abusive head trauma, murder-suicides, crimes involving gun violence, and other similar forms of physically violent/fatal child abuse. And as more dads are providing child care (either because mom is working and can't find other care, or because dads are increasingly getting unsupervised visitation/custody through the family courts), more dads are are being found guilty of basic child abuse and neglect as well.

10/25/15 -Because of severe time constraints, we are no longer able to do regular updates at Dastardly Dads. We will occasionally post articles on general studies on child abuse/domestic violence, news pieces involving abusive fathers in custody/visitation situations. We wil also be updating the Killer Dads and Custody lists, while looking for a better, more accessible platform for the data.

7/11/16 - We started this blog on June 24, 2009--just over seven years. And like all good things, it's time to bring this project to a close. It has served its purpose. We have close to 10,500 postings regarding fathers and child abuse, with hundred of those cases being enabled by the family courts, social services, and others in authority. The documentation is clear. It is now time to stop documenting and put that energy into changing the situation that puts thousands of mothers and children at risk every day.

ST. PAUL, Minn. (KMSP) -
A 45-year-old St. Paul man has been charged with two counts of malicious punishment of a child after a local doctor notified police that a 3-month-old boy in the ER appeared to be a victim of "classic child abuse."

The criminal complaint filed in Ramsey County late last week states that John Eric Autey brought his son to the emergency room the evening of April 23 and said the child had been vomiting since the day before. The doctor who examined the boy found extensive bruising on his chest wall that looked like fingers, fractured ribs, and a non-life-threatening hemorrhage in the boy's brain. When asked what happened, Autey said the boy fell from a bed.

The doctors at United and Children's Hospital in St. Paul didn't believe Autey was telling the whole story. Rather, St. Paul police were called in to take a child abuse report. When officers arrived, they spoke with a nurse and doctor who work for Midwest Children Resource Center -- a center that specializes in child physical and sexual abuse cases. The doctor said the boy's injuries were consistent with "classic child abuse," and the officers set out to speak with Autey.

Autey told police he was caring for the boy at his St. Paul home on April 21 when the child rolled off a bed. Autey added that he grabbed the boy while catching him from the fall and then rocked him to sleep. He further explained that he noticed bruising on the boy's chest the next day, and said the vomiting began the day after that. He also told police that his wife was in Mexico for business when the incident occurred.

Autey met a child protection worker in Ramsey County the following week, and during that meeting, he reportedly admitted his son's injuries were caused by shaking. The criminal complaint states that Autey became angry after the boy fell off a bed and would not stop crying, and he admitted to shaking the boy for 5 to 10 seconds before putting the child on the bed and leaving the room. He added that he knew what he did was wrong and felt like he was going to throw up.

If convicted on both counts, Autey could face a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and fines of up to $20,000.